(circa 1890)
Theodore Berteling was born in Westphalia in 1821 and arrived in Boston MA. in 1848. By 1855 he had established his own woodwind workshop and subsequently moved to New York in 1859 as T. Berteling & Co. The company was known for making quality woodwinds particularly flutes, piccolo and clarinets. Berteling held several patents for the improvement of both the clarinet and the flute and died in 1890, leaving the operation of the company to his wife.
This fine example of his work dates from the late 19th century and incorporates several of Berteling’s improvements for the Boehm flute. It has an unlined beautifully tapered head joint with a fully functional crown adjustment. The embouchure is original and in excellent condition. I completely overhauled the flute with new pads, corks and replaced all needed springs. The foot joint’s bottom ring was missing and I turned a new one out of vintage rosewood and the match is perfect. The sounding length is 589 mm with an embouchure of 12mm X 10mm. The inside bore is 19 mm with a slight taper of the foot joint to 18.85 mm. All the metal work, keys, ribs, posts, tenons and tenon rings (other than the turned rosewood end ring) are German Silver. The double thumb screw mounts assure solid closure with no lateral motion. All the adjustment screws are mounted on the thumb side of the flute body ( a Berteling patent) and easily accessible…very nice. There was a crutch mount at one time but it had been removed and the screw holes sealed sometime in the flute’s history.
This is not only a uniquely collectible flute but one of exquisite tonal quality and ease of play.
PRICE: $2,250.00 + shipping & handling.
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